A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a manufacturing method thereof.
B. Description of the Related Art
One type of semiconductor device (semiconductor module) is know in which semiconductor elements such as power semiconductors are mounted on a substrate, disposed on a heat dissipation base, which has conductor patterns, and the heat dissipation base is covered with an exterior case. As this semiconductor device, there is, for example, an IGBT module wherein insulated gate bipolar transistors (IGBTs) are mounted as semiconductor elements.
With regard to this kind of semiconductor module, a technology is known using an exterior case thereof wherein a terminal frame of a predetermined shape (including external connection terminals) electrically connected to semiconductor elements mounted inside the exterior case is insert molded using a resin. Also, a technology is known whereby a resin case with terminal mounting holes provided therein in advance is prepared, and when assembling a semiconductor module, external connection terminals are mounted in the terminal mounting holes of the resin case.
A plurality of semiconductor elements are electrically connected and mounted on a semiconductor module so as to realize a predetermined function of the semiconductor module in conjunction with each other in accordance with the use of the semiconductor module. The plurality of semiconductor elements, apart from being electrically connected via conductor patterns on a substrate on which the semiconductor elements are mounted, are electrically connected by utilizing, for example, the previously described terminal frame. The semiconductor device described in JP-A-2003-289130 is an example of this.
Meanwhile, in the heretofore described kind of semiconductor module including a plurality of semiconductor elements, in some cases, the realization of different functions is carried out not by changing the kind of semiconductor elements to be used, but by changing the relation of electrical connection of the semiconductor elements (for example, a series connection and a parallel connection). For example, in an IGBT module, when a plurality of substrates, each having conductor patterns on which IGBT chips are mounted as semiconductor elements, are disposed on a heat dissipation base, there are a case in which the IGBTs disposed on the plurality of substrates are connected in series to configure the IGBT module, and a case in which the IGBTs disposed on the plurality of substrates are connected in parallel to configure the IGBT module.
However, in order to realize this kind of semiconductor module, a change of the conductor patterns on the substrates, a change of the wiring (wire connection) between the semiconductor elements and conductor patterns along with the change of the conductor patterns, and the like, are carried out. Also, for example, when using an exterior case wherein the heretofore described kind of terminal frame is insert molded, it is necessary to change the shape of the terminal frame, or it is necessary to separately prepare an exterior case wherein the changed terminal frame is insert molded.
In this way, when obtaining semiconductor modules with different functions, even though the kind of semiconductor elements to be used is the same, it may happen that the costs necessary for materials and assembly increase by preparing parts (substrates, an exterior case, and the like) used for each semiconductor module.
The present invention is directed to overcoming or at least reducing the effects of one or more of the problems set forth above.